Defence hopes for acquittal in Kambala murder case

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Maria Amakali
Windhoek-The man who is on trial for the killing of Mathew Kambala at a shebeen in Okahandja is expected to hear his fate today, with his defence team hoping for an acquittal.
Fillipus Fenga Ai-Aiseb is accused of intentionally killing Kambala on August 20, 2010 by stabbing him with a sharp object in the chest.
The prosecution charges that Ai-Aiseb and the deceased were involved in a tussle, which consequently resulted in the death Kambala.
Ai-Aiseb made an appearance before Magistrate Elina Nandago in Windhoek Regional Court this week. During submissions led by State Prosecutor Menencia Hinda, the State relied on the testimonies of witnesses, who were at the crime scene on the date in question.
Some of the witnesses indicated that they were attending a promotional event at a bar near Okahandja when the accused and the deceased got involved in an argument. They allegedly saw the accused stabbing the deceased in the chest.
They further testified that the deceased fell while holding his chest where the stab wound was inflicted. According to the witnesses, the accused used a sharp object that looked like a screwdriver when stabbing the deceased. Kambala was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.
“The evidence presented by the witnesses indicate that at the time of the stabbing the accused person was not acting in self defence and therefore he should be convicted on the charge of murder,” Hinda argued.
Ai-Aiseb, who pleaded not guilty to murder, informed the court that he did not stab Kambala, who attacked him, and that he merely pushed away Kambala, who had a knife in his hands. Ai-Aiseb said Kambala accidentally stabbed himself when he fell onto the knife that was in his hands.
The defence argues that none of the witnesses’ version holds any truth, as none of their versions corroborate each other.
“The State did not make out a prima facie case, nor did they prove their case beyond reasonable doubt… They failed and therefore the accused should not be found guilty and acquitted,” Nhinda maintained. New Era Reporter 2017-10-10 09:25:57 1 years ago